MUSKEGON, MI, January 15, 2012
/24-7PressRelease/ -- Married pianist couple Per Tengstrand and Shan-shan Sun will join the West Michigan Symphony for two Masterworks concert performances and a special fundraiser in February.
The "Carnival of the Animals" performances will feature:
• Ottorino Respighi, "The Birds"
• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, "Serenade for Strings"
• Camille Saint-Saëns, "Carnival of the Animals," featuring Tengstrand and Sun
More information, as well as expanded program notes with audio samples for all masterworks concerts, is available online at the Symphony's website.
The performances will be held at the Frauenthal Theater on Friday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Feb. 4 at 2 p.m. The Saturday matinee is designed with families in mind and will feature pre-concert family activities from 12:45-1:45 p.m., including the hands-on "instrument petting zoo," a magical clown, special treats and surprise guests. The pre-concert activities are free. Student concert tickets are only $5 and can be ordered by calling 231.726.3231 ext 23. They are not available online.
While in West Michigan, Tengstrand and Sun will conduct a master class with local and regional piano students on Friday, Feb. 3 in the Frauenthal Theater.
The couple will also perform an intimate recital on Saturday, Feb. 4 as a fundraiser for WMS. The recital, "Two Pianos, Two Pianists," will begin with cocktails at 6 p.m. and recital at 7 p.m. followed by dinner. Seating is limited for this very special night. For more information on this black tie optional event, please contact Rita Smith, rsmith@westmichigansymphony.org or 231.726.3231 ext. 23.
"I have worked with Per Tengstrand four times previously," Music Director Scott Speck said. "He joined the Symphony a few years ago and was an enormous hit with both the audience and the orchestra. I have also worked with him in Mobile and in Sweden. Per's playing is energetic, exuberant, emotional, flexible, fun to watch and full of feeling.
"Two summers ago I had the pleasure of working with Per and Shan-shan in Sweden, playing the 'Carnival of the Animals.' As you might expect, they have a marvelous chemistry onstage, playing as one. After hearing that performance, I had the idea of inviting them to play it here, and am delighted to welcome them to West Michigan. "
Tengstrand, a native of Sweden, studied at the Paris and Geneva conservatories, and in 1997 he won first prize in the Cleveland International Piano Competition. Sun, a native of China, moved to the United States in 1991 to study at the Cleveland Institute of Music. She is an active soloist and chamber musician. They debuted in New York at Merkin Hall in 2004 and have since performed in recitals and festivals throughout the United States and Scandinavia, including with the Norrlands Opera Orchestra and the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. They have also released several recordings with the Mindfeel record label.
Tengstrand and Sun will accompany Speck and the Symphony on the witty and irreverent "Carnival of the Animals," also dubbed "A Grand Zoological Fantasy." The piece, written in 1886, was originally composed for two pianos, two violins, viola, cello, double bass, flute, clarinet, glass harmonica or celesta and xylophone.
" 'The Carnival of the Animals' is a hilarious, satirical piece," Speck said. "In fact, it made so much fun of Saint-Saëns' contemporary composers that he forbade any performances, with the exception of one, before his death. Many years later, the poet Ogden Nash wrote very funny verses to accompany each movement, and our audience will have a chance to hear them as well."
Audiences will enjoy Tengstrand's and Sun's musical tour of animal favorites, including roaring lions, clucking hens, elephants, leaping kangaroos, a peaceful aquarium and a flock of flapping birds.
"The piece makes use of very obvious sound effects in the orchestra to depict the animals," Speck explained. "For example, a lone clarinet plays the part of a cuckoo in the woods, and two violins engage in the most grotesquely funny dueling donkey duet. It gets even better from there."
Speck will also lead the symphony through the heart-warming "Serenade for Strings." Tchaikovsky said of the composition, "Whether because it is my latest child or because in reality it is not bad, I am terribly in love with this Serenade and can scarcely wait to have it presented to the world." Audiences agreed. "Serenade for Strings" experienced an enthusiastic reception when it debuted in St. Petersburg. It has remained a favorite with audiences due to its brilliant string writing, graceful waltz, richly expressive elegy and its lively finale based on a Russian folk tune.
"Tchaikovsky's 'Serenade for Strings' is a four-movement outpouring of emotion in the Russian Romantic style," Speck said. "It's one of the most beautiful pieces ever written for string orchestra. Even this piece, though, has a rollicking finale that reminds me of a spectacular troika ride through the Russian countryside."
The evening will also feature Respinghi's lighthearted and playful "The Birds," a five-movement suite using 18th century keyboard pieces meant to evoke bird songs. The most striking aspect of Respighi's work is its sparkling orchestration. Although each of the movements begins by featuring a different solo instrument, they continue by incorporating stunning combinations of instrumental solos to create a kaleidoscope of orchestral color.
Individual tickets can be purchased by calling the West Michigan Symphony ticket office at 231.726.3231. For more information or to receive a 2011-2012 season brochure, contact 231.726.3231 or info@westmichigansymphony.org. Single tickets may be purchased online at http://www.westmichigansymphony.org; in person at the West Michigan Symphony Ticket Office, Suite 409 (4th floor) in the Frauenthal Center for the Performing Arts, 425 W. Western Ave., Muskegon; or by calling 231.726.3231.
About West Michigan Symphony
As one of the few professional regional orchestras in Michigan, West Michigan Symphony has played a leading role in the region's cultural community for more than 70 years. Founded as the West Shore Symphony Orchestra, WMS now serves a regional audience with eight pairs of concerts annually, along with dozens of educational and outreach activities for children and adults. WMS oversees operations for the West Michigan Youth Symphony. For more information, visit http://www.westmichigansymphony.org.
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